Quick report
- Cracking
- specific
We found 3ft of new snow, with a 1ft thick layer of higher density snow above 2ft of lower density new snow. Signs of instability within the new snow included cracking on undercut test slopes, and a small D1 natural avalanche that likely occured within the new snow.
A larger, D2.5 natural avalanche was observed with no new snow on the deposition, so it could have occured anytime after snowfall ended. It was in an area off-limits to snowmobiles, so we could not get close for further inspection. I dug to the facets on a similar elevation/aspect and they were loose and weak, down 3ft which coincides with the depth of the crown/flanks of the avalanche.
Lots of settlement cracks were seen around tree trunks - settlement was very likely limited to the new snow, and not in the deeper faceted weak layers which were still loose and weak where I looked. Another round of surface hoar was observed at the surface, which will be worth monitoring with light snow in the forecast.
Cracking under the density change near the surface was easy to initiate on undercut test slopes. We did not observe cracking without first undercutting.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- previous
- Recent Snowfall
- 100cm
- Snow Avail For Transport
- moderate amounts
Cool and calm with thin, high clouds
Snowpack
3+ft of "upside down" new snow, with 1ft of higher density snow above 2ft of lower density snow
Avalanche
- Size
- D2.5 R3
- Type
- SS
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 9200 ft
This avalanche occured in Wilderness and we were on snowmobiles looking from a distance, so no crown profile or further details. A smaller, shallower avalanche was nearby, that likely failed on the density change near the surface.